Sodium chloride is employed as a starting ingredient for making bread and other baked goods. It is used not for saltiness, but for improving rheological properties of doughs and a workability, for seasoning, and for improving a shelf life of goods and the like. Thus, it is quite useful. With respect to the amount of sodium chloride in various baked goods, it is, based on 100 g of wheat flour, between 0.5 and 2% in bread, between 1.55 and 3.5% in pie dough, between 0.5 and 1.5% in cakes, as many as 3% in biscuits, and between 1.5 and 2% in cookies and crackers. In western countries where the intake of baked goods is relatively high, how to decrease the sodium intake in baked goods is a serious problem. This is also a big problem in our country where bread as a secondary staple food next to rice diet is consumed much. Studies on substitutes for sodium chloride have been conducted in every country.
The use of potassium chloride and the like as substitutes for sodium chloride has been examined. However, potassium chloride has a strong bitterness, and is actually less effective as a substitute for sodium chloride. Further, no other useful substitutes have been found in view of qualities, a workability and the like.
Baked goods for persons suffering from renal diseases and the like who have to limit the sodium intake must be made without using sodium chloride. Further, it is difficult to make saltless bread either mechanically or manually in view of a workability and the like because of a stickiness of dough. Sodium chloride has an important role as an agent for stabilizing properties of bread dough and maintaining hardness and the like. Meanwhile, saltless cakes or crackers have been made, but they are lacking in the flavor. In this respect, if a substitute for sodium chloride is found, the consumption of bread is increased for persons who have to restrict the sodium intake. Further, cookies or crackers having an excellent flavor can be advantageously provided as compared with the conventional saltless goods, making the eating habits abundant.